Out of the Frying Pan And Into the Fire
by Cold Cruel and Collected
Summary: Right when he thinks he's safe, the old monster of a nemesis returns to wreak havoc in Robin's world.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** C.C.C.: You do it!

C.M.: You!

C.C.C.: You!

C.M.: -.-, fine. She doesn't own it, and if she did, you just know that the seasons'd be longer and Slade would've yelled **PWNED! **some time during the series, just for the hell of it.

C.C.C.: Got that right. On with the story.

**--**

**OUT OF THE FRYING PAN AND INTO THE FIRE**

**--**

**Teen Titans**

'Cookie Cutter Crumble!!' The villain's voice rang out like a bell in the hot summer's day, Jump's gorgeous blue sky suddenly filling with hot dirt and asphalt. The mixture of cookie dough and what seemed (and smelled) to be tarmac for chocolate chips attacked the Titans once more, the giant gingerbread thing swallowing Beast Boy whole.

'Dude!!' he yelled as it took him up by his legs and shoved him into it's mouth, the giant grotesque jaw working in what one could only assume to be chomping manoeuvres. With a loud _GULP! _Beast Boy was down on the ground again, covered in the strange cookie recipe. After shaking himself from the noxious dough, he ran back towards the Titans, who were sweltering in the heat of late summer, summer that _should _have become autumn by now.

Robin lifted his head to view the 'cookie', and shook it. Sometimes Jump had the weirdest villains. A smile spread across his face. But then again, the superheroes could always put them to the test in weirdness too. An alien, half-demon, green guy, half-human half-robot and a circus boy. Boy, did they win in the weirdness contest.

'Titans, Go!' the battle call sounded loudly, and they all leapt into action quickly, rushing towards their destination. The old woman beside the cookie just laughed, pointing her extremely large mixing spoon at the Titans and yelling, 'Get 'em, sweet cheeks!' to the giant cookie thing. She laughed again and her skin swished about in layers on her face after the movement, a view of which would certainly require at least an 'ewww'.

With another swish of her overly large spoon, this time falling across her overly large and equally dirty apron, the cookie thing was trying to stick the Titans to each other with its doughy hands, as they fought to subdue it somehow.

A swing of a certain brightly-coloured clad person's Bo staff later and the monster's head was cut off, and its hands slumped to its side – for al of two seconds. The Cookie Woman laughed and swung her spoon again, causing the two heaps of dough to become cookie things once again. They lunged at the Titans whilst the old saggy woman kept laughing. It would seem that Jump Asylum needed a new resident.

This time they went about it in a more… favourable fashion. Cyborg yelled, attacking it with his sonic cannon (and yes, the yell was a certain favoured phrase beginning with 'boo' and ending with 'ya') whilst Starfire pummelled it with starbolts. Raven and Beast Boy were annihilating their's too, Ravens dark magic coursing through the 'chips' (AKA asphalt) of the cookie, forcing it to begin imploding whilst Beast Boy was attacking it in his Tyrannosaurus Rex form, attempting to take a bite out of the cookie dough.

Robin leapt through the air and slammed into the old woman with a jump kick to the chest, and she landed panting on the ground. Steel-toed boots walked on the compact dirt, sending dust everywhere and Robin bent to pick up the 'spoon' with a single gloved hand. The old woman coughed again and looked up at the Boy Wonder.

'Looks like your 'Cookie Monster' has been put away, and I think that it's about time that you took a visit to Sesame Street too, Mrs. Cookie.' He glanced up at her before snapping the spoon on his right leg, bringing it up in a powerful motion. The Cookie monsters instantly melted into nothingness again, the heads that had been reforming spluttering on the ground.

After the police had come and picked up the Cookie Woman, and the Titans sat watching, Beast boy began coughing on the ground, drawing all of the Titan's attention. 'Dude! I just realised! That crazy lady musta used _eggs_! That means that I swallowed _eggs_! Aw, man, dead animal babies!! And _raw_ ones, too! I could get salmonella!!' He began spitting on the ground again, holding his throat as he did so.

Raven smiled, 'Sewer water or dead raw animal babies?' she asked leaning over him, causing him to look up at her into her purple eyes.

He looked at her curiously before grinning broadly and saying, 'Sewer water any day, Rae,' then erupting into laughter. Raven smiled, and all of the Titans were soon at least chuckling.

**--**

**Slade**

Slade was not a happy bunny. Indeed, getting your rear end handed to you by a bunch of _children _did not seem to be something that happy bunnies had happen to them. Therefore, it was only natural that Slade was not a happy bunny.

He was currently in his new hideout, working on computers and accessing security cameras, trying to figure out certain things that would help him in his mission.

His mission? To put it simply: Retrieve Robin and teach and train him (and other more violent things, if the boy saw fit to not obey) to perfection.

But of course that required things. Like a plan, for instance.

Yet Slade could be a _very _happy bunny when it came to things like formulating plans. And so he was becoming one, as he watched the Titans defeat their newest, seemingly most pathetic villain, and old hag with a mystical spoon. Perhaps she had something to do with Mumbo or Mod. It didn't matter; they all fell under the idiot category together.

Now, he had been creating this plan for some time, and it was already in the first stage, something that the Titans were clueless about. But they were children, and were probably too young to realise that certain _changes _in the weather could actually be a sign of a villain.

But boy this was one of the times where ignorance could be a pretty big kicker.

He tapped the keyboard again, watching Robin sail into the foolish woman and smiling. The boy was keeping up, and didn't seem to have grown very week in Slade's few months' absence. He had gone to an older hideout before returning to this one, one were he had made his plan into a reality, one that would soon affect the Titans through death or the loss of their leader.

Now since the first one would kill Robin along with them, it was simply unacceptable. But of course Robin couldn't live without his _friends_, but Slade had known that they were willing to take dumb risks. The answer to such things? The same that he had last time with his bomb in the ground (which the lovely Titans had decided to dismantle, even if it did take them several days, and they were very lucky that Slade had decided that since Robin was the one dismantling it he wouldn't turn it on). Drag civilians into it.

He smiled. The Titans wouldn't know what hit them. Chuckling, he to watch the few cameras on the screen, searching for a hidden answer in their mysteriously high quality pixels. And as he thought back to his old plan he thought back to his old 'assistants', and wondered what had become of Faust.

And how he could make Faust become nothing but ash in Jump City's 'heat wave'. The man was probably lurking around somewhere, trying to track Slade. He wouldn't find him, of course. Slade had hidden himself deep into Jump (somewhere air conditioned, yes), and taken care not to give off any clues of his whereabouts.

It was simply impossible.

**--**

**Teen Titans / Starfire**

Starfire laughed as she drank mustard on top the Tower, quite happily enjoying the chilled mustard that she had put ice cream into to make cold. It tasted lovely, too. She liked things that mixed sweet so happily with 'yum'. She picked up another slice of pizza and began munching it, laughing as she heard Beast Boy tell another joke.

No one else laughed, and Robin reached for another slice too. He wasn't looking, and their hands fell onto the same piece, and she blushed, immediately grabbing another slice and downing it in one Tameranian gulp. Robin offered her the slice that he had taken, and with a smile she quickly relinquished his grasp on it.

Beast Boy was examining a Salt and Vinegar potato chips bag, amazed at how it wasn't 'suitable for vegetarians' whilst Cyborg laughed and ate large amounts. Raven sat and sipped iced tea, Beast Boy's idea.

'So, Cy, what d'you think, as soon as the sun sets, Mega Monkeys 4? I'm gonna beat you down to the ground…' Beast Boy said still watching Cyborg eat the potato chips.

Cyborg grinned, 'You're going down, Grass Stain. I'd like to see you _try _to beat me.' He laughed happily at that.

Beast Boy's eyes narrowed, but for once he stayed silent as he ate another slice of the pepper pizza laid out in front of him. Robin had decided that since they ate as much of it, there was no need arguing and Cyborg and Beast Boy should eat just get their own pizzas. So they did, and whilst he had Green Peppers and Tofu, Cy had the Mega Meaty Monster Deluxe.

There was another smile from him as he watched the sun set with his friends, wondering what tomorrow would have in store.

--

**A/N:** Gah… I'm dead…

I couldn't stay away forever, you knew that, right?

I knew that you did. I just kept holding it out. I'll try to update on the weekend, dudes. Right now I gotta go and pass out.

Oh yea, the fluff monster did eat my brain.

XD

Sorry for mistakes and fuzz.


	2. Chapter 2

**C.C.C.:** Yeah, late, I'm sorry.

Oh – started a new story. Felt that it'd be best… It's a sequel, of sorts, in the fact that my OC may play a part, but maybe not. Who knows?

And I already think that the title is WAAAAAY too long.

Sorryz.

**DISCLAIMER**: No. Don't want to be PWNed by lawyers, y'know?

**OUT OF THE FRYING PAN AND INTO THE FIRE:**

**--**

**Robin**

The winds shook the building, the power behind them leaving most speechless. The glass rattled in the large panes, the usually clear windows becoming mosaics from the constant rain.

Another wave of rain water slammed into the glass, the wind carrying it with threatening power. The entire tower seemed to quake with the power, sending vibrations throughout the entire structure.

Robin worked at the console, bringing up page after page on the internet, filing reports as he did so. Their beautiful evening had turned sour at around 1 in the morning, the storm clouds appearing ominously through the night then. Only an hour earlier had they set their whips of water upon the tower, and luckily the other Titans were fast asleep by then.

It was now around 3, and Robin continued to type away in the main room, working away at the computer. He was sending a report off, and researching criminals at the same time. Hidden in the articles and the facts could be something that he had missed, and he had to find it if so. With the storm banging on his window, chances were that he wouldn't be able to sleep any. Sometimes it was a good thing to be a light sleeper (like when you have to be in the presence of your nemesis, damn Slade to hell), whereas in situations like this such would not be true.

He slammed the enter button with his fist, furious at the hour and the seeming fruitlessness of his search. He glanced up, searching the ceiling for answers before resuming his search, unawares of the pair of eyes, or _lens_, that were viewing him…

**--**

**Slade**

His old apprentice was typing away at work, too it seemed. The boy seemed angry, though, that was for sure. He really had seemed to want to destroy the keyboard.

Slade's lips curled into a smile behind his mask, his pride at his former and to-be apprentice seeping through the metal grating. Robin still had his periods of anger, and they linked him with Slade, no matter how hard he tried to deny it. The boy was just _too _much like Slade for his own wishes, it seemed. Not that Slade was angry – he was a perfect apprentice, one that would be ready to take on his empire – when it became an empire. He still hadn't given up on that whole thought of world domination.

The monitor showed Robin leaving his chair and going towards the coffee pot, no doubt fuelling a possible addiction in the making. He frowned, putting the pot back into place empty and turned and went from the main room, probably going to bed. No doubt the boy had had enough of the night.

Slade turned and began improving the robot once again, ending his routine check on the Titans. There was no way he was having his local vigilantes doing things that he wasn't aware of.

He glanced down at the robot head, pondering. Then he began to resume his upgrading; he was making it so that the robots would be more able to function in given situations, making it harder on the Titans. That was another thing that he couldn't do – allow them to win. Get soft, yes. That and tiring them out was his purpose with the amount of robots when he had first tried to capture Robin. This time he would not be as lenient, and if improving the robots would make it all the more hard on Robin's part, then so be it. After all – the little details were the bits that counted in this situation, along with the big picture.

He glanced up before inserting a complicated PCB, one that Robin probably wouldn't even understand at his current level of knowledge. Of course, that was another thing that he needed to remedy in the boy – at his current stage compared to Slade he was indeed quite ignorant in Slade's opinion. He had _so _much to learn.

All the more reason to get his apprentice back to him as quickly as possible.

**--**

**Starfire**

She smiled as she watched the sun rise, feeling its warmth on her tanned-orange skin, the wind whisking her hair about her shoulders. She liked earth mornings, especially because she could spend them with Robin.

He was missing quite a few of the rises of sun, but that didn't matter, he was here now. They were sitting on the edge of the barrier, holding hands as they watched the sun. It made the city look so beautiful, with the buildings becoming basked in that gorgeous glow, and Starfire's skin tingled as the chilly wind and warm sun mingled. It was most certainly a _good_ feeling.

'Robin, I wish to initiate a… good morning,' she spoke, breaking the early morning silence, and a chorus of sea gulls erupted in the distance. He looked to her, his black mask the same, but his lips curled up into a welcoming smile.

He chuckled, the sound so welcome in the morning that she smiled even wider, now showing her white teeth. 'Good morning, Star,' he said as he began to get up, holding out a hand when he had to help her up.

She took it quickly and used her powers to float back to the door with him, the same smile still plastered on her face.

It was going to be a good day.

**--**

**Titans**

'DUUUUUDE!!'

'WE ARE NOT HAVING TOFU, GRASS STAIN!'

'I REFUSE TO EAT THAT, I'M A VEGETARIAN, REMEMBER?!'

'THEY'RE JUST EGGS!! VEGETARIANS EAT EGGS!!'

'VEGAN, I'M VEGAN, AND I'M NOT EATING THOSE DEAD ANIMAL BABIES!!'

'Mmmmmm,' Cyborg said as he began eating his fried eggs dangerously near Beast Boy's face, making Beast Boy gag. He fell back with a dramatic _**SLAM!**_ and Raven glanced over the rim of her mug to look at him. She rolled her eyes before putting a hand out and feeling his gloved hand take it, bringing him up and back onto his stool.

'Poor animal,' a grunt, as he slammed his hand on the table still finding it hard to gain purchase on his stool for some reason, '…babies – OOMPH!' his head slammed forward, the tofu that he was about to make his breakfast taking a flying leap towards Raven's head, only to be zapped with her powers towards Beast Boy, who ducked and watched in awe as it bounced off the frying pan, oven and then flew majestically over the space between the counter to plaster itself in between Cyborg's eyes, just as he took a massive bite of egg. He coughed, choking on the egg as he scrabbled at the tofu which was then trying to make a move to eat his face (C/N: FACEHUGGER!! XO!).

He pried it off of his face and the legs of the stool gave from his weight and he fell towards the ground with a graceful lack of grace. Raven just watched from over top of her book, Beast Boy's mouth hung open in awe of the happenings that had just taken place.

'DUDE!! I'm telling you that that WAS the dead animal babies taking their revenge!!' he then began to run about the room chanting about 'Possessed Tofu' until the arrival of Starfire and Robin broke his concentration, and their questions about the event made him begin his rant once more to a cynical Robin and enraptured Starfire.

'But surely, animal infants of death would not wish to harm Cyborg? I thought that it was the custom to not fertilise eggs before collection?' Starfire's eyes begged Beast Boy for answers, whilst Robin frowned further and seemed to be conducting a logical analysis of the situation before Beast Boy had even began to think of an answer.

Before Robin could speak – 'Fine – _Potential dead baby animals. _But they're still reaping their revenge!!' this was followed by some 'Oooooohh!'s in which Beast Boy emphasised his movements by waving his arms around like a ghost. Starfire's eyes turned to Robin at this and he quickly shook his head and mouthed a 'No', watched Beast Boy before turning towards Cyborg, who seemed to be raiding the fridge.

'Man, no way… some tofu… getting the best of me… no _way_…' he was rambling on, taking out package after package. Robin walked over and bent down next to his friend, reading labels before raising his head and his eyebrows under the mask. Cyborg seemed to understand his body language as he replied, 'Man, no way am I having food that _attacks _me in the fridge.' He picked up all of the packages and was soon followed by a protesting Beast Boy out the door.

Soon, it all became normal again – normal for the tower. The tofu was not disposed of for the meat was threatened, and quickly Game Stations, books, computers and ovens that began spewing purple smoke were used as the Titans resumed their ways.

It was soon after Starfire was withdrawing her third dish that the ringing started.

**--**

**C.C.C.:**

Well, good, bad or sad? Never know.

Rofl, and if anyone got that, I just had to put the Facehugger thing in. I think that that's what they're called. I think… Maybe hope… Aliens!! XD

**READ AND REVIEW, IT'S THE COOL THING TO DO!! XD**


	3. Chapter 3

**C.C.C.:** Okie dokie artichokies… Here I am, and back!! Hope you enjoy the new instalment of 'The Title's Too Flippin' Long'.

C.M.: Best of wishes, we no own.

C.C.C.: Food for thought – PWNed, or someone that I know is…

XD Enjoy! Or not, I suppose there's the whole freedom of thought thing!

--

**OOTFPITF 3**

--

The Titans all craned their heads around the rarely used object, so foreign to them that a film of dust was beginning to cover its keys: The phone.

There were quite a few reasons as to this dial-up-someone object had been rarely used: There simply wasn't a need within the Titans, and of course there were each of the Titan's personal reasons.

Raven had expressed her dislike for phones in the past, promptly blowing one up by accident as it was ringing when she was trying to meditate.

Beast Boy just didn't answer them. The Game Station and the phone were a distance from each other, and to him it was relatively pointless to 'leave Mega Monkeys 5 just to pick up the phone and listen to some telemarketer saying that he can get us a bigger roof satellite. I mean, come on Rob! We don't need it!'

Starfire, after the incident in which the boys had gone to the Tournament of Champions, had also managed to not like the phone. She felt that something of its structure would be better fitted as a 'Tameranean Glorkag Base'. It was only before she did go to such measures that the Titans realised her actions and told her not to, needing a speech from Robin to persuade her otherwise.

Cyborg didn't need it either. He of course, had a phone on his arm that was more suited to matters than having to pick up the plastic and listen to a telemarketer for he had 'caller ID, and Rob we really do need it on that phone.'

Luckily for Cyborg and Beast Boy, eventually the Telemarketers stopped calling.

Robin tended to stay away from phones too, simply because they usually meant that a call to his guardian was in order, something that wasn't the cheeriest thing on the planet, especially as he was a week late this time.

Thus, all of the Titans gathered around the celestial object known as a "phone" was a rarity indeed. Beast Boy answering said object, was all the more rarer.

"Um… hello?" He said, looking around at the Titan's faces as though begging for one of them to take the phone. None did.

Resigned to his fate, Beast Boy continued to listen to the person on the other line for a good fifteen seconds before turning to Robin and saying an, "It's for you, dude."

Robin took the phone, an image of his guardian flashing in his mind before he heard the voice of a woman, probably late 30s from her voice, go through the phone line. "Hey there kid, your buddy doesn't seem to have much of a clue, you know."

A pause as he tried to figure out what a freaky woman wanted and why she was phoning him up, but then he relaxed. Slightly better than talking to Bruce, he supposed.

"Umm… Kid, you do realise that I'm still here…?" the voice sounded again over the line, and Robin regained reality.

He gulped saliva before answering, "Yes, Ma'am, how may I help you?" Now _he_ felt like a telemarketer. Maybe it'd be better if it _was_ Bruce…

"Ma'am?! What're you chit-chatting about kid? Make's me feel old as two bingo players combined!" he shrank back a second before recovering his posture as the shrill voice overtook the line, before it calmed down and the woman spoke again, "Right, kid, here's the deal. It's _Miss_ now from you, I don't like feeling old. You keep on talking and I'll start imagining wrinkles, and believe you me, neither of us want that."

What else could he say to that but, "Uhh, alright I suppose."

"Darn tooting it's alright, kid. Now, you listen here, 'cause I have some specific information for you and only you. Let any of those cutie friends of yours pick up another phone or listen in – and believe me, that I _will_ know… - and I'm afraid that I'll have to not let you in on my little… Shall we say 'piece of knowledge?" the voice stopped again as if waiting for his response.

He sighed, pressing his lips together as he looked around at his friends, recently becoming disinterested at the woman on the phone and resuming normal activities. The only one left was Starfire, and as he looked to her eyes she smiled at him and nodded her head. Well, okay then.

"Done. Now, what do you know?" More silence on the line, and then the sounding of cards.

"I'm afraid that's a bit… risky, wouldn't you say so kid? How about… I give you an address and you follow me like dogs to a trail?" He growled under his breath, too low for the phone. What was this woman playing at?! He had a city to watch, he couldn't go chasing some lady who was probably experiencing a costly mid-life crisis!!

He ground his teeth, he wouldn't spare more than half an hour with this woman, "Fine. Where do you want to go?"

"Hmmm… How's about… Pier 41? That should give you a good idea of where this is going, kiddo." His eyes shot up, and Starfire took a slight step back as his head jerked, but elsewise seemed to not notice a thing. Not the first time that he was thankful for a mask.

"What time?" the memory was linked to horrid ones, but this woman seemed to just treat it all fine.

"Now don't want the other kiddies following along, now do I? Say, three AM, and be sure to tuck them in bed first. Because if I even catch sight of them… You'll feel my wrath." The carefree tone that the woman had held for the whole conversation was lost on the sentence, and he could almost picture eyes narrowing. "So… Sound good to you?"

It didn't, but he said 'Yes' anyway.

--

After a quick meal of microwaved ravioli, canned style, three Ninja/Zombie/Romance films, the Titans were in bed. The lack of 'real' food was due to a fight which had ended up burning the supposedly 'well done, you can still eat it…' '…if you dare, Cy', steaks, in which Cyborg personally threw Johnny Rancid in jail.

Robin sighed, yanking cape around his neck as he watched the security camera outside of his room. Recently the other Titans had taken to making sure he was in bed, and Cyborg had turned up his hearing to add to it. His stasis sleep could now be interrupted quite easily by someone unknowing (he didn't want to go into detail on how he'd found out, but Beast Boy's year old boom box coming to life on full blast at 4 in the morning did seem to go quite in depth…), and chances are that if he didn't know Robin would be that person. Well, not tonight.

He yawned and picked up his steel toed boots, making sure to hold his hands between the metal. Clipping his belt around his waist, he walked out of his door and into the hallway. Taking the stairs and cringing at the cold metal, he made his way down towards the garage. Walking his bike out until he was sure that no one would notice, he rode it, making his way towards Pier 41.

The ride was cold for Jump's usual summer nights, the wind ripping away his body head as he rode towards the docks. Soon, he would find out what this woman was talking about – either that, or what she was _on._

He stepped off of the R Cycle at the entrance to the docks, making small steps towards his destination. He started to wonder whether or not he wanted to do this, would it be better if he had Star flying behind him? No. Whatever this was, it seemed that the woman would know… Then again, she may never find out….

It was too late now, anyway. He scrunched up his face and scanned the docks, and saw a woman sitting on a box 30 ft away, her legs crossed and eyes pinned on him.

He started to walk forward and began to make out her features more, a soft nose and eyes that had the beginnings of laughter lines forming around them. Her lips seemed to be normal, but with an artificial pinkish tinge. Her skin was white with a tan, her brown hair falling in curls on her shoulder. She was well built – that was all. Nothing about her suggested anything above average, other than that and the clothing – black shirt and black pants, with 4 inch heel boots. They had a cut to them that seemed to remind him of mid life crisis, and he grinned as he remembered his thoughts on the phone.

"What're you grinning at, brat? I should hope that you're not mocking your own informant." She yelled out, stretching a hand out to cup half of her mouth. The other one was poised on her left leg, a red stone ring covering her middle finger twitching in anxiety.

He walked over calmly, feeling his confidence return slightly. Nothing but probably a journalist getting research into the gangs – what was left of them. This woman probably didn't know anything at all about Slade, and that's what was key. Jump was safe.

"Slade's back." She leaned forward on the box, the black belt around her waist straining against her. Robin's mouth fell open silently, his confidence gone. She tapped her foot against he box before she opened her mouth again – oh why couldn't she just keep it _shut?_ – "I know that your team thinks that he's gone. I also know that you don't. You want to know how?" She grinned and rocked her body side to side for a second, being cocky.

He ground his teeth together, she was waiting for him to answer with a snide smile on her face, "And just _how _would you know that, _Miss_?" Oh, how he wanted to just walk away and start on it. Instead he was here _waiting _for this woman to tell him her info, which probably wouldn't be worth anything!

In a second her eyes had narrowed and her hand came flying at him, her body covering the two feet between them quickly. She slapped him – hard, and then she was sitting on the box again, legs crossing. He looked up and there she was, wiping her hand on her pants, smiling again.

"Why… Why'd you do that?!" He was yelling then, hand on his cheek as he watched her continue to smile at him – the lunatic!

"Simply disrespect." Flashbacks of his time as Slade's apprentice flew to his mind, but at least Slade had _acted _sane. Thank heaven that this woman didn't have anything like that on him… "I came all the way out here, offering you information like the kind young lady," she paused then, her smile growing dreamy as she stared off into space for a small spell, "that I _am_," her eyes hardened and glared at him for a moment before becoming soft and dreary, how could this woman even _know_ about Slade? "And, because I've come all of this very long way, you're going to listen. If I have to kidnap you and take you to Slade himself, I shall, kiddo. But that wouldn't be very hard, you know."

He looked at her again, before coming out with the question that her body language told him that she wanted – "And why's that, Miss?" No sarcasm this time, just a question, on the surface, that is.

Another smile, this time reflecting a cat's as she pondered – a cat about to eat a mouse. "Because he's right behind you."

"What?!" He whipped around and spotted the orange and black mask, Slade was standing _there_, and lunged at the man. Slade just seemed to chuckle and threw him towards the ground. The woman laughed again, and walked over towards Robin, whispering to him as she bent down – "I think that you may have lost already, kiddo."

Slade was walking up to him, how he hated that man… He reached down and grabbed Robin, dragging him up by his cape to make him look him in the eye. That same blue-gray eye glinted at him, mocking him from the shadows every time he failed to arrest a crook, every time he made a mistake, always there – mocking him… and now it was real…

Robin struggled under his grasp, coughing as the cape strained against his neck. Slade's eye continued to examine him; the low laughs falling from the grates of the mask, Robin's nightmare come to greet reality.

The man reached forward and grabbed his hair with one hand, gripping his skull and turning his head towards him, forcing him to look at him. Robin grimaced and continued to struggle, not even Mad Mod's chairs would make him look at Slade now, nothing-

"I have charges set at the Tower, my boy. One push of the button," old words come to haunt him again, "and the Titans will be annihilated in their sleep. Now, I suggest you listen to my… proposition." Robin stared in hatred and awe at the man – why couldn't he just give up?! Why?! Slade shook him again, realising Robin's train of thought straying and forced him to look at him again. "I know what you'll be thinking next, boy. You see, what happens when the Titans leave the Tower? Well, after tonight my robots will cut one of them. The cut will heal quickly, thanks to Raven. But it won't really be her. There will be a synthetic toxin in them, lying dormant until my command. And we wouldn't really want that, now would we?"

He shook Robin again, demanding an answer through his physical abuse. Robin swallowed, hoping that his saliva would take his pride with it, and glared up at Slade. He wanted to look away, not think about it. But he was a leader, and he had to face up to this. Slade was his responsibility, no matter what anyone said. He would deal with him.

"No… I wouldn't want that." He managed to spit out, his head being forced upward again by Slade after he'd dared to peek down.

"Good, that's right. Now, that wasn't too hard, was it Robi-" Slade's voice cut short as Robin fell to the ground, his eyes going wide. The docks disspated and he was back to where he was when the woman had slapped him.

"I know that Slade's back, because of that, kid. I know that Slade's back because he contacted me – only he never really contacted me. He got in – through my head." He looked up and the mood swing had occurred, her angry eyes melting it seemed to sadness as tears began to fall.

"He killed my husband, kid. Then he did that to me. It's hallucinogenic dust, but you can't get rid of it. It acts more like a virus, than anything else. Somehow Slade's managed to go beyond robots and into biological warfare. I'm the messenger, and that's the threat. Slade's back – and he wants _you._" She raised her hand with the red ring on it towards him, pointing with those drenched eyes.

"Follow me – he told me where to meet him. His robots told me and I don't think that I'll ever forget," a choked off sob, "it forced me to listen when I was still soaked in my husband's blood." The tears fell again, and he began to follow the woman towards the warehouses.

--

**C.C.C.:** Ah, the wonders of mini-eggs. Get's you to write a semi-long chapter without collapsing from boredom.

XD Until next time!


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